Saddleworth

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Saddleworth






Statistics
Population:	24,351 (2001 Census)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	SD995061
Administration
Metropolitan Borough:	Oldham
Metropolitan county:	Greater Manchester
Region:	North West England
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater Manchester
Historic county:	Yorkshire (West Riding)
Services
Police force:	Greater Manchester Police
Fire and rescue:	{{{Fire}}}
Ambulance:	North West
Post office and telephone
Post town:	OLDHAM
Postal district:	OL3
Dialling code:	01457
Politics
UK Parliament:	Oldham East and Saddleworth
European Parliament:	North West England

Saddleworth is a rural and hilly civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester in North West England.^[1]^[2] It is formed by a collection of villages and hamlets amongst the Saddleworth moorland in the Pennine hills, and although the area is on the western side of the Pennine watershed, lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire.

Situated east from the neighbouring town of Oldham, Saddleworth is largely rural, and was for centuries, a centre of woollen cloth production.

According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 24,351, making it one of the larger civil parishes in the country.

1 Geography and administration
- 1.1 Civic history
2 Parliamentary representation
3 Identity
4 Villages
5 Culture
6 Notable Residents
7 Note
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Geography and administration

Saddleworth makes up around 52% of the entire Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in terms of land coverage, and remains largely rural. Although on the western side of the Pennine watershed, Saddleworth, or Quick as it was once known, has lain within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire since the middle ages.

[edit] Civic history

Saddleworth constituted a chapelry in the ancient parish of Rochdale which was otherwise entirely in the ancient county of Lancashire. In 1866 it became a civil parish in its own right and in 1889 became part of the administrative county of York, West Riding. In 1894 the parish's boundaries were altered somewhat, with the parts in Quickmere Middle Division (Springhead), Mossley and Uppermill becoming urban districts. The residue became a single-parish rural district. In 1900 the boundaries were changed again with the inclusion of Upper Mill, and the single-parish rural district being instead replaced by an urban district. In 1937 it incorporated Springhead urban district. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the West Riding of Yorkshire was abolished as an administrative county and Saddleworth was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham and the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.

[edit] Parliamentary representation

The Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth is Phil Woolas.

[edit] Identity

Since the local government reforms, the people of Saddleworth have been uneasy about their primary geographic reference frame and some sections of the local community feel aggrieved that Saddleworth is sometimes referred to as being in the county of Greater Manchester. Saddleworth, where the local architecture of stone cottages is markedly Yorksharian, is the only part of the metropolitan borough of Oldham to lie within the historic county boundaries Yorkshire, the rest being in neighbouring Lancashire. It is also the only part of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester to lie within these borders. Greater Manchester is a based on the conurbation surrounding the city of Manchester. However Saddleworth is highly rural, and is at the far reaches, if at all part of, the Greater Manchester conurbation.

The Saddleworth White Rose Society organise events every Yorkshire Day (1 August) to promote their contention that Saddleworth remains part Yorkshire. The Prince of Wales referred to Saddleworth's continuing Yorkshire status when he visited the area in 2001 saying "The fact that Saddleworth is still part of the historic West Riding is extremely important",^[3].

In 2004, public meeting were held to discuss the feasibility of splitting Saddleworth from the Borough of Oldham. Some residents at the time said they would prefer to become part of the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire or a new South Pennine authority, connecting rural towns and villages on both sides of the border. Even though such a move could involve merging with the neighbouring Yorkshire metropolitan borough of Kirklees, Oldham councillors maintained the split was not feasible as Saddleworth does not have sufficient hospital provision, civic buildings, transport, schooling nor other infrastructure in its own right. One councillor remarked "They [Saddleworth] want a bigger slice of the pie than the rest of the borough. The people of the rest of Oldham are not going to subsidise Saddleworth and Saddleworth can’t go it alone. It couldn’t afford to provide the services it needs."^[4]

[edit] Villages

The backwoods of Delph

Saddleworth contains a collection of villages and hamlets, including:

Austerlands
Castleshaw
Delph
Denshaw
Diggle
Dobcross
Friezland
Grasscroft
Greenfield
Grotton
Heights
Lydgate
Scouthead
Springhead
Uppermill

[edit] Culture

[edit] Whit Friday

Saddleworth Beer Walk in Delph, 2006

Saddleworth has a large number of annual customs and traditions, many of which are held during Whitsuntide. On Whit Friday morning, congregations from the churches of all of the Saddleworth villages parade into Uppermill, where a religious service is held. Later in the evening, the Whit Friday brass band contests take place. The band contests originated in Saddleworth and the nearby towns of Mossley and Stalybridge and are still centered on the local area. Bands from around the UK travel to the area annually to compete. Due to the huge popularity of the event, Whit Friday band contests are now held in others of Saddleworth's surrounding towns.

[edit] Beer Walk

On the following Saturday, the Saddleworth Beer Walk is held. This is a fundraising event where participants walk around Saddleworth in fancy dress, stopping off at many of Saddleworth's pubs along the way for half a pint of beer or lager. Spectators are encouraged to give money to the participants for charity.

[edit] Rushcart

Each year, on the second Saturday and Sunday after August 12th (the old Saddleworth "Wakes Week"), the Saddleworth Rushcart takes place. In 1975 a team of local lads formed the Saddleworth Morris Men and the first modern Rushcart was built for the first festival. This has now become the largest Festival of Morris Dancing in the whole of the United Kingdom. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Notable Residents

Saddleworth is the birthplace to inventors, the Platt Brothers, whom were pioneers of the mechanisation of textile manufacture.

[edit] Note

The Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady buried their victims on Saddleworth Moor. The body of Keith Bennett, the killers' third victim, has never been found.